


Of Dark Wizards & Knights

by justdk



Series: Andreil Week 2019 [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, Tales from Verania - T.J. Klune
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Andreil Week 2019, Fluff, M/M, POV Neil Josten, Tales of Verania AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 09:33:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19720996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justdk/pseuds/justdk
Summary: Neil just wants to live in his cave and do magic and raise his cute little fox kits but nooooo.In which Neil meets the legendary Sam of Wilds, Tiggy, and Gary... and a short knight with blonde hair and great arms





	Of Dark Wizards & Knights

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Andreil Week 2019: alternate meeting | fantasy au | magic au
> 
> Mild spoilers if you haven't read the Tales of Verania books. Hopefully it will make sense without that context. FYI: Gary is Like That in canon XD I toned him back some cause Lord the mouth on that unicorn!

This day, Neil reflected, could not get any worse. It really couldn’t.

All he had wanted was to harvest some mushrooms for a new potion, maybe catch a rabbit for dinner, and spend the evening sitting in front of his cave smoking and watching the sun set over the Dark Woods.

But no.

No, fate had dropped a very loud and vulgar unicorn into his cave, along with a scrawny guy who claimed to be the King’s Wizard-in-Waiting (Neil seriously doubted this), and a large but kind looking half-giant. Currently the unicorn was regaling them all with stories about his extremely carnal relationship with a dragon. Neil was learning more about unicorn anatomy than he ever wanted to know. He was pretty sure his face must be beet red from blushing; hopefully the deep shadows cast by his hood would disguise his mortification.

The Wizard-in-Waiting – Sam – made a gagging sound when the unicorn began talking about his Banana Nut Muffin. Neil knew he was missing crucial information – clearly the unicorn wasn’t describing a pastry – but was too afraid to ask. He busied himself with stirring the pot of rabbit stew that was simmering over the fire. In his earlier idiocy he had offered to let the trio stay in his cave for the night because they claimed to be lost. He was regretting it so bad. Especially since the unicorn’s dragon husband was named Kevin and every time his name was mentioned Neil was reminded of his childhood friend Kevin and the combination of graphic sexual descriptions and his friend’s name was making Neil even more flustered. Neil wished he knew a spell to stop up his ears or maybe one to transport the lost travelers back to the City of Lockes.

Sam, the alleged Wizard-in-Waiting, shuddered in revulsion at a needlessly descriptive narrative about the wonders of dragon tongue and rapidly changed the subject.

“You!” he pointed at Neil. “Tell us all about what it’s like to be a Dark Wizard in Hiding!”

“You capitalized that, didn’t you?” the unicorn asked with a knowing smirk.

Sam nodded, his smile wide and mischievous. “Yes, I did, so you it’s true.”

“I’m not—” Neil protested, panic surging. Being a Dark Wizard was frowned upon at the best of times and this was definitely not the best of times. From what he’d heard all Darks were being exiled or executed or evaporated or emasculated? It wasn’t really clear but none of it sounded good.

“Let’s see.” Sam started ticking off fingers as he spoke, “you’re wearing a hooded cloak in the middle of the day, you live in a cave in THE DARK WOODS, you kidnapped us—”

“I most certainly did not!”

“And you’re a liar.” Sam grinned, showing all of his teeth. Neil glared at him. Wizard-in-Waiting or not, Neil wasn’t scared of _him_ ; they were practically the same age. He was a little afraid of the half-giant and he was terrified of the unicorn. His mother had always said to never trust a unicorn.

“First of all,” Neil retorted, backing towards the cave mouth so that he could make a quick escape if needed, “I didn’t kidnap you. You found my cave and invited yourselves in while I was out gathering mushrooms. You can leave any time you want.” He looked imploringly at Sam. “Please,” he said as earnestly as he could, “please leave.”

Gary the unicorn, Sam, and the half-giant considered this and nodded at each other. “Okay, that’s fair,” Sam said. “We agree that you _technically_ didn’t kidnap us.”

“Even though you did invite us to stay the night with the intention of having your way with us,” the unicorn interjected, batting his extremely long eyelashes at Neil. “Shameless, isn’t he?” Gary asked Sam. Sam nodded.

“What.”

“Darling, I know I’m irresistible but I am a married unicorn and all outside partners have to be vetted first. Though since we’re here I might as well ask, how do you feel about being tied up? What are your kinks and limits?”

“ _What_.” Neil’s neck prickled with uncomfortable heat. “I… no! Just no.” He shook his head emphatically. “I don’t swing.”

Gary pouted and Sam gaped at him. “For serious?!” Sam asked. Neil was worried he was going to hear the whole _you don’t know until you’ve tried it_ spiel but Sam surprised him by saying: “You know what though, that’s cool. My mentor doesn’t swing either. He’s super rad and has awesome pink shoes. Do you have pink shoes, too?”

Neil didn’t even know what to do with that information. “Uh, no.”

“Hmm. No pink shoes?” Sam eyed Neil closely. Neil shook his head again. “Well, okay. I still think your cloak is suspicious. Like, who wears a cloak indoors, right?”

“From my experience,” the unicorn said, “villains, Darks, flashers, and strippers. Oh, and people at costume parties.”

“And people trying to hide their identity,” Neil muttered to himself.

“What was that?” The unicorn stared at him with lovely, piercing blue eyes. “You said you were going to _reveal_ yourself?”

“Gross,” the half-giant muttered.

Neil flushed. “No! Gods!” He regretted everything about today. He also wished his mother had told him that unicorns were Like That. “Look, will you all stop hassling me and leave if I take off my cloak?”

“Yes,” Sam said.

“Maybe,” the unicorn said.

The half-giant smiled gently.

Well, this wasn’t ideal but Neil was desperate. He tugged at the hood of his cloak. He didn’t want to take it off. This was harassment, plain and simple. But he knew if he kept refusing they would think the worst and might take him back to the City of Lockes. Would they put him in the dungeons and torture him for information? Neil shivered. If they did there was a high chance that his father, who was currently based in Meridian City, would find out and send people to collect him. Neil would do anything to avoid that outcome.

With a heavy-hearted sigh Neil pushed back the hood of his cloak, undid the clasp at his throat, and let the heavy black material slide from shoulders. Keeping his eyes adverted he also stripped off the long-sleeved shirt he wore year-round. He might as well give them the whole show. Hopefully their pity impulses would activate and they wouldn’t ask questions.

“What the fucking fuck…” Sam said, his voice low and hoarse. Gary kicked him. The half-giant whimpered.

Neil turned slowly, revealing the scars that ravaged his chest, back, and arms. His face and hands were also scarred and burned, which made avoiding attention difficult. That was why Neil preferred the solitude of the Dark Woods. Out here he rarely saw anyone except for the magical creatures and the occasional Dark Wizard.

“Who did this to you?” the unicorn asked. His voice was surprisingly gentle. It made Neil’s eyes prickle and he swallowed hard around the ache in his throat.

“My father,” Neil replied. He pulled his shirt back on and bent to retrieve his cloak. His long, dark hair fell into eyes and he pushed it aside, surreptitiously rubbing at the tears in his eyes.

“Oh gods, is he going to start monologuing?” Sam hissed. “Maybe he really is a Dark. You know how they all are, Daddy Issues.” The unicorn kicked him again.

“Shut up!” Neil said angrily. He was sick of everyone and everything, sick of people judging him and making assumptions about him. “What would you even know about it? I’ve been in hiding for _years_. And yeah, I do magic without a cornerstone so I guess that makes me a Dark but I don’t fucking care. I just want to live in my cave in peace so why don’t you leave me the hell alone?!” He was shouting now, magic pricking in his veins and along the scars left from when his father had tried to consume his magic. He saw flashes of black and orange, the magic gathering closer. He also saw the alarmed looks on Sam, Gary, and the half-giant’s faces. It was too similar to the way people looked when confronted by his father.

Neil blinked and pulled his hands into fists, his nails biting into the skin of his palms as he tried to reign the magic back in. He could do this. Just a little more control and it would be _fine_ …

But it wasn’t fine. The magic clamored beneath his skin, demanding an outlet. Neil hadn’t felt so out of control since the night his mother had been killed. Panic made his heart race and he tried to warn the others.

“ _Go._ ” The word came out in a harsh gasp. Neil shook, his eyes closed tight in concentration. He still sensed the others in his cave. _Why weren’t they leaving?_ “ _Please…”_ the word was broken on his tongue, _“please run…”_

The magic brought Neil to his knees. He curled up in a ball and mentally went over the chants to calm down. He was vaguely aware of scuffling sounds and loud whispers. Sam was muttering fiercely and Gary the unicorn was shouting.

Then: “There you are. We’ve been looking all over for you lot.”

Everything went still and quiet. Neil’s magic hummed and purred, settling in his bones like a contented cat going down for a nap. The orange and black still tinted his vision but it had cleared enough for him to see.

And what he saw was a knight.

The knight was short enough that, like Neil, he didn’t need to duck as he entered the cave. He was dressed in light armor, his helmet was off, and his blond hair was messily tousled. He looked positively radiant in the gloomy cave. Neil shivered.

“Andrew!” Sam waved at the knight and then pointed at Neil. “We found a Dark Wizard. I think.”

The knight cocked his head and looked at Neil. His gaze was intense and made Neil want to curl up tighter in a ball and roll far, far away.

“Doesn’t feel like a Dark to me,” the knight muttered. “Plus you’re not tied up and being subjected to his evil master plan or outright seduction, as is usually the case when you wind up in a cave with a Dark.”

“I told Sam he wasn’t a Dark,” Gary the unicorn scoffed. “I mean, _clearly_. Darks love to rant about their bad dads and show off their hideous disfigurements to the world, not hide them!”

 _That_ hurt. Neil tucked his head against his knees and pretended they weren’t there.

“Gary!” The knight exclaimed, his tone sharp with reprimand. Gary snorted unrepentantly.

Neil tugged the hood halfway down his face and crawled into the corner of the cave.

“You can leave now,” he said into the ensuing silence.

“I, uh,” Sam stammered, “right. We’ll be going. Lovely cave. You should really do interior decorating for Darks—ouch!” Sam was rubbing the back of his head from where the knight had smacked him, if the jangle of armor was any indication.

“He’s not a Dark,” the knight said again.

Sam eyed Neil and his sagging shelves of potions. “Right… just a wee bit Dark, though.”

The knight sighed. “Go before Captain Foxheart has a fit. I’ll finish up here.”

Neil waited until Sam, the unicorn, and the half-giant had gone before raising his head. He found the knight examining the jars of candies on his worktable.

“Do these do anything?” the knight asked. He picked up a jar and shook it, the small candies rattling noisily against the glass.

“They’ll give you cavities and diabetes if you eat too many,” Neil said dryly.

“I’ll take my chances.” The knight opened a jar of chocolate mushroom-shaped candies and popped one in his mouth. He chewed slowly, seeming to savor the candy before swallowing. “They’re good.”

“Thanks.” Neil sat up straighter and pushed his hood back so he could get a better look at the knight. He wasn’t all that physically impressive. He was shorter than the average knight but had a solid build. His blond hair was a little longer than regulation and he had some scruff along his jaw. Not bad looking, Neil supposed. What was truly remarkable though was the effect he was having on Neil’s magic. Since he had entered the cave it was like the tempest of magic inside Neil had been instantly stilled. The longer he stayed, the more in control Neil felt.

The knight continued poking through the materials strewn over Neil’s worktable. His forehead creased as he found Neil’s grimoire, the book opened to the latest entry that Neil had been working on the night before. Neil squirmed as the knight read the pages, his mouth set in a firm yet neutral line.

“Wow,” the knight said, after he had finally finished reading. “Now _that_ is Dark. What was your name again?”

“Neil.”

The knight moved around the table and knelt down in front of him, studying his face and hands. “Neil. My name is Andrew.” His hazel eyes narrowed. “You seem harmless enough, like a scared little rabbit,” Neil bristled at the comparison but kept his mouth shut, “but no one who carries that much pain and darkness,” he gestured at the opened grimoire, “can ever be truly harmless, right?”

“I would never do that!” Neil said. What his father and the other Darks had done to him was unforgivable; he had only recorded it to try and purge his mind of the memories, not that it had worked. “I just want to live a quiet life out here in the woods, where no one knows who I am. I’m not a Dark.” He picked at a scab on his wrist and added softly, “I’m not like Sam, either. Why can’t you all leave me alone?”

Andrew reached out and touched his hand, stopping him from worrying at the healing wounds. Immediately Neil felt a deep sense of peace settling over him, easing his agitated magic. Soft, warm orange flickered at the edges of Neil’s vision, surrounding Andrew like an aura. It was incredibly comforting.

Maybe Andrew noticed the sensation as well because his eyes went wide and he quickly looked up at Neil, his mouth opening to say something before he thought better of it. His fingers were still on Neil’s skin, tracing the scabbed scrapes on his wrist.

“What—,”Andrew’s voice caught and he tried again. “What happened here?”

The scrapes were a minor injury, especially when compared with the nasty scars and burns that covered Neil’s arms and hands.

“Oh,” Neil flushed, his skin tingling beneath the soft touch of Andrew’s fingers, “the kits got a little over excited when we were playing the other night. Scratched me up good before I could get my hand free. I should have been wearing gloves but their fur is so soft…”

“The kits?” Andrew’s lips quirked up in an amused half smile. He was still touching Neil’s wrist and Neil felt dizzy from the contact. Maybe living in a cave by himself had completely upended his reactions to human touch if he was this affected. Or maybe it was Andrew. “Neil?”

“Huh?” Neil blinked slowly, looking up at Andrew. Why was he still crouched in the corner like an antisocial hermit?

“Kits?” Andrew prodded.

“Right.” Neil scooted away from Andrew and shuffled towards the cave entrance. He just needed some space, just needed to get some air. “C’mon, let’s see if they’ll come out.”

Andrew followed him and they stood outside the cave on the soft, green moss. Neil raised his hands to his mouth and yipped loudly, feeling slightly ridiculous. Andrew eyed him with curiosity but didn’t ask what he was doing. After a few more calls Neil was rewarded by answering yips from the forest and the quiet rustle of the kits coming home for the night.

“Just, uh, stay still,” Neil told Andrew. “They’re not fond of strangers.”

“Like someone else I know,” Andrew muttered. But he stayed still, leaning against the cave like he could blend in. Which was ridiculous. His shining armor stood out like a beacon in the shadows of the forest.

The kits tumbled out from the underbrush and scrambled over to Neil. He crouched down and let them sniff him all over. Their little ears shifted back and they growled at the smell of strangers. They noticed Andrew, of course, and King let out a warning yelp. Neil patted her head and whispered that the knight was okay.

It took several minutes for the baby foxes to relax enough for Neil to bundle them into his arms. He hugged them close, inhaling the pungent scent of their fur and the forest smells they carried. Sir nuzzled under his chin and licked his jaw until Neil couldn’t stop giggling. Not to be outdone, King snuck her nose in Neil’s ear, making him laugh in surprise.

When Neil managed to come up from the fox love fest he found Andrew watching him with a dazed look on his face and a small smile on his lips. It was so disarming that Neil had to look away.

“So, uh, these are my kits,” Neil said. “Sir and King. I found them next to their mom.” He nuzzled their soft ears. “She had been killed by hunters, I think. I’ve been taking care of them ever since.”

“They’re adorable,” Andrew said. He had schooled his face back into a passive mask but Neil could tell he meant it from the sparkle in his eyes.

“I don’t think they’ll let you pet them,” Neil said, “but if you sit down they might come over and give you a sniff check.”

Andrew raised his eyebrows. “You want me to stay?”

“Ah, well.” Neil shifted his weight and grappled with the squirming kits. “It’s late, almost dark. You won’t make it back to the City in time. And, uh…”

Andrew studied him, that small smile inching across his face. “My unit is camped not far from here. We’re doing a survey of the entire forest, King’s orders.”

“Ah.” Neil felt strangely disappointed. After his stressful day he should have wanted to be alone; he’d been begging for it ever since Sam, Gary, and the half-giant had arrived. But now he didn’t want the blond knight to leave, he thought he might miss his voice and company.

“However,” Andrew’s voice was soft, “I could stay, if you want. We’ll call it… research. I have to make absolutely certain that you’re not a threat to the kingdom, right? Maybe you could even show me some magic.”

Neil nodded slowly. He _did_ want to show Andrew some magic. He also wanted to know more about Andrew and his life at the castle, what it was like to be a knight and if he had any exciting stories to tell. He wanted to find out what Andrew really thought about Darks and cornerstones and the changes happening in Verania.

“Yes, good,” Neil agreed. “Stew first, then magic.”

Neil set the kits down and they raced into the cave. He and Andrew followed them inside. While Neil finished preparing the food Andrew slowly took off his armor, calling Neil over to help from time to time. When all of the armor was stripped away he was left in clinging black pants and a black long-sleeved shirt. Neil was pleased to discover that he had been right about Andrew’s build; he was solidly muscular.

Andrew stretched, popping his neck and knuckles with a series of loud, jarring _cracks_. He groaned softly and looked over at Neil’s worktable.

“Is that tobacco?” he asked, pointing to a tin canister with some leaves inexpertly drawn on the top.

“Mhmm,” Neil hummed, dishing up the stew and placing a warmed biscuit on top.

“Gods, I would kill for a smoke,” Andrew murmured. He stretched, pulling his arm behind his head. Neil was _not_ blatantly staring at his bicep.

“No murder necessary,” Neil joked awkwardly. “I usually smoke after dinner and I’d, um, be glad for you to join me.”

Andrew caught his eye and grinned, a full smile that seemed to fill the entire cave with light. “That sounds perfect.”

For some unaccountable reason Neil’s heart skipped a beat. He touched his chest lightly and wondered. Orange and black swirled around the room and, for the first time in maybe his entire life, Neil wasn’t afraid.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking about the AFTG characters living in Verania and this AndreilWeek prompt was too perfect to pass up!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @dkafterdark


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